In this paper a nonlinear control design for power balancing in networked
microgrids using energy storage devices is presented. Each microgrid is
considered to be interfaced to the distribution feeder though a solid-state
transformer (SST). The internal duty cycle based controllers of each SST
ensures stable regulation of power commands during normal operation. But
problem arises when a sudden change in load or generation occurs in any
microgrid in a completely unpredicted way in between the time instants at which
the SSTs receive their power setpoints. In such a case, the energy storage unit
in that microgrid must produce or absorb the deficit power. The challenge lies
in designing a suitable regulator for this purpose owing to the nonlinearity of
the battery model and its coupling with the nonlinear SST dynamics. We design
an input-output linearization based controller, and show that it guarantees
closed-loop stability via a cascade connection with the SST model. The design
is also extended to the case when multiple SSTs must coordinate their
individual storage controllers to assist a given SST whose storage capacity is
insufficient to serve the unpredicted load. The design is verified using the
IEEE 34-bus distribution system with nine SST-driven microgrids.Comment: 8 pages, 10 figure